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Sea Cliff Scene

November 2017

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

by Alan Newman Unfortunately, this article must deviate

from my normal style as we mourn the passing of our colleague and Sea Cliff Director of many years, Bob Coates. Bob has been the Sea Cliff Chief Financial Officer for as long as I have been a resident here, a job he took very seri-ously and proudly, carefully overseeing our fi-nances. He did more than the typical HOA CFO, personally coding expenditures and put-ting together budgets. He also served as an honest, direct and righteous participant in our deliberations and dealings. As one of the origi-nal residents at Sea Cliff, his vast knowledge of our history and workings and his love of the community always came through in his posi-tions regarding the betterment of our commu-nity.

We will miss his presence from the Board as well as our neighbor. Our condo-lences to Niki and the rest of Bob’s family. _____________________________ In preparing next year's budgets, we are faced with some incontrovertible facts. The State’s increasing minimum wage continues to

pressure our landscape budget significantly, and our utility costs continue to increase as well. We also want to make sure we continue to protect ourselves against any surprises by making sure our reserves are sufficient, not just this year and next, but into the future as well.

As stewards of the community’s money, we must also review all expenditures to be cer-tain money is well spent. In other words, we want to make sure we are not wasting any money needlessly.

To this end, we would welcome com-ments on whether we should continue to pro-vide Cable TV and Wi-Fi hookups at the club-house. We are currently spending $137.76 / month or $1653.12 / year. Does anyone use the Wi-Fi or TV? If you do, is the use a neces-sary community expense? In the same vein, we urge you to sign up for automatic HOA pay-ments to reduce our postage expenses as well as getting the Scene by email. We’re very lucky to have an extremely low number of late or non-payers, so the vast majority already pay on time anyway. Why not save a stamp for yourselves and the HOA and have it paid auto-matically?

Finally, the Board has decided to ap-point someone to finish out Bob's term until

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June 2018, at which time the community can vote to fill the final year of Bob’s term. Anyone interested in serving, please contact me or one the other Board members. We will appoint someone next meeting.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

SUMMARY OF ACTION October 11, 2017

CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL

• Board Members Present: President, Alan Newman; Vice President, Jim Sevier; Board Secretary, Pete Tucker; Director at Large, Marilyn Stemen.

• Lindsay Management Services: Diana Gonza-lez; and approximately 5 members in attend-ance.

• President Alan Newman sadly noted the re-cent passing of Bob Coates, CFO and ex-pressed sympathy to his family and friends.

MINUTES & FINANCE REPORTS

• Minutes- Approved the Minutes of Septem-ber 20, 2017 as submitted.

• Finance reports – The President reported the Financials are in good condition.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

• Architectural – It was noted they had a very quick meeting. There were three requests that were approved and were routine win-dows replacement. In addition, there was a project for doing drainage and putting pav-ers. The committee received a list of owners that need to fill out the new waiver for the roofs.

• Enhancement – It was noted that the Rock and Roll Party was a success. There will be another event on the 14th which is the Chili Cook Off. With Board approval a new projec-tor was bought so they can bring back movie

night. The committee also likes to project things while they have other events. Christ-mas lights will be going back up by the same company that did the lights last year at the kiosks and tennis courts

• Finance - The Finance Committee reported earlier in the meeting by Board President.

• Lakes – The Lakes Committee is running yet another experiment to resolve the leak at Lake 1. Treebeard did some digging and couldn’t find anything as to where the leak may be coming from. It was noted that the pump wasn’t performing properly. A new pump company was called on Thursday and it was reported the pump is in bad condition and needs to be replaced. There are multiple pieces that need to be bought to repair pump two. Quotes will be received for repairs and given to the board.

• Landscape – It was noted that there are 34 working days left this year before invoices can be sent. There has been one sprinkler replaced from 4 to 6 inches. This project will get this done this year before the year ends. In addition, two valves were approved to be replaced. We can get 20 valves replaced by this year and 60 valves done next year.

• Maintenance – no meeting - nothing to report

• Pools & Spas – The north pool deck is going to have some resurfacing repairs. Maybe re-plaster the north spa in January.

• Public Affairs – Nothing to report.

• Tennis – Nothing to report.

• Welcome – There were two members wel-comed into the community.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: The Board reviewed improvements for 2017 and landscape improvements. Updates regard-ing the clubhouse remodel was a sketch of what the changes may be but nothing is certain as of yet. No new projects are scheduled.

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NEW BUSINESS It was noted that the Board will be looking into installing surveillance cameras. The Board re-viewed parking permit log. ANNOUNCEMENTS: None. EXECUTIVE SESSION SUMMARY: Alan Newman provided a brief summary of items discussed in Executive Session. THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE HELD AT THE CLUBHOUSE AT 4:00 PM. November 15, 2017.

NOTE: This is an informational summary of Board actions. Complete Board of Director meeting & Committee minutes are available for review in the Clubhouse following approval.

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GENERAL INFORMATION

No Skateboards on Walkways or at Kiosks – The Rules say that, “Riding bicycles, skate-boards, roller skates or scooters is not allowed on the walkways, in the pavilion area or com-mon green property.” Last year the following phrases were added; “except by children five years or younger riding bicycles or scooters provided they yield right-of-way to any pedes-trians.” Note that skateboards are not al-lowed on the walkways (including kiosk ar-eas)! Lately there have been reports of viola-tions, so we need your help to prevent that. Is your Gas Shutoff Valve Working? – Re-cently a resident found that their gas shutoff valve could not be closed. This could prevent emergency shutoff to prevent or stop a danger-ous gas leak! The resident called SDG&E who came out, found the problem and fixed the valve. If you suspect such a problem, call SDG&E at (800) 411-7343. New Roof Waiver Forms – Architectural changes that affect the integrity of roofs must include the new Roof Waiver form and a fee for

recording. See the Sea Cliff website in the “Documents” or “Homeowner Forms” sections for the forms and instructions. Some owners who recently submitted change requests will be contacted by the management company to en-sure completion and recording of their ap-proved changes. Dogs are Man's & Woman’s Best Friends - All dogs of all sizes need to be kept on a leash and the owners need to hold onto the leash. This is for the protection of your dog as well as other dogs and for the protection of all people regardless of their age and size. The City of Carlsbad and the community of Sea Cliff requires dogs to be on leashes. Please help by following this requirement so everyone including dogs and people are safe. Do You Have a Parking Permit? – For those who have a parking permit from the HOA, please display it visibly, whenever using a common area parking space, by hanging the permit on the car mirror or by placing it on the front dash-board. Contractor Referral Book - While the HOA, the Board, and its committees are not respon-sible for solving maintenance problems that oc-cur in a resident’s house, the informal “Con-tractors Referral Book” that is now kept in the clubhouse, may be useful to get information that may help you decide on a suitable plumber, window washer, or other service con-tractor. The information on file is from individ-ual residents and is based solely on their expe-rience. While it may help, the Sea Cliff Home-owners Association and Board of Directors are not responsible for the results or accuracy of any referral or recommendation. Flag Disposal – “The American flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning." (The United States Flag Code)

When an American Flag is no longer fit for display it must not be simply thrown away nor burned here in Sea Cliff due to fire danger and

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the California code that prohibits individuals from burning the flag.

At the Dove Library, the Fire Department has a drop-box where flags can be placed for proper disposal. RESIDENTS DIRECTORIES are on the HOA Website – A current set of directory data is kept on the HOA Website at http://www.sea-cliffhoa.net . There are three directories: one alphabetized by residents’ last names, one listed by street addresses, and one of names and email addresses. If a hard-copy of any di-rectory is needed, you can print it off the web-site. We try to keep the directories current within the recent month. If you see the need for changes to the directories, contact Jim Lang at jdlang7409@gmail.com .

We will no longer publish the page with detailed website instructions as we had done monthly in previous editions of the Scene; how-ever, that page is always available at the ki-osks. Cleanout of Roof Gutters and Downspouts – If you have a blocked gutter or downspout, please call the Management Company to get your name on the next list. Lateral Drain Cleanout, Inspections and Re-pairs – Residents are advised to periodically check their area lateral drains to ensure they flow freely and to contact a service provider if they are blocked. See the notice on page 13.

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ARCHITECTURAL COMMITTEE by Ted Johnson & Jim Lang

Please note that the new Roof Waiver

form is required for all Architectural Change

Requests that affect the roof integrity (e.g., so-lar panels, skylights, soar tube lights, etc.). The new waiver must also be recorded and a fee is involved. See the new form and instructions on the Sea Cliff website in the “Documents” or “Homeowners Forms” sections.

A log of Architectural Committee approv-als is sent to the Board each month.

For assistance please call Ted at (760) 707-6803, or Lois Martyns at (760) 431-1928.

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ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE

by Ann Hurd We had a great Country Western Night

and Chili Cookoff this year under the direction of Judy Curtis and her team. Many thanks to the great chili cooks and congratulations to the winners this year. Sharon Fitzgerald won first, Dan Sweeney won second, and Jo Ann Arlen won third. Thanks also to the other chili cooks: Lynn Alley, Cindy Brenner, Joe Crain, Linda Mettling, Sue Miller and John Nears.

Did you make it out to the Halloween Parade on Sunday, October 29th at 1pm? It’s always a treat to see the young ones in cos-tume. Thanks to Judy Snider and her team for keeping this tradition going.

The Christmas party will be from 7pm to 9pm on Sunday, December 10th for the whole community. Solutions for Change will be our charity again this year and will pick up contribu-tions from our community during the event. See the flyers at the end of this Scene for more details.

We will be carrying on Andre’s tradition of a TGI Tuesday for the months of February, March and April. Watch the calendar and come out and join us.

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FINANCE COMMITTEE by Alan Newman

The Board is working on the 2018 Oper-

ating Budget and the Reserves Study. We plan to approve them at the November Board meet-ing. Details will be sent to all owners in the end-of-November mailing.

If anyone is interested in joining our Fi-nance Committee, please contact me. We meet on the Tuesday prior to the Board Meet-ing at 3:30 at the clubhouse.

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LAKES COMMITTEE

by Anne Spacie

In October we completed one last ex-periment to test whether the persistent leak in Hidden Lake might be localized in the north waterfall area. A section of the north discharge pipe excavated by Treebeard showed no wet soil around that spot. We then set up a water pump to supply flow to the lowest basin of the north waterfall (while the upper waterfall sec-tion remained dry). Within a week the water meter for the lake indicated the typical rate of water loss we had seen before. That strongly suggests the main leak is near the north spa and cattail area along the bank of the lower waterfall basin. We are now drying out that section to do further inspections.

Meanwhile, the large circulation pump (#1) for Hidden Lake was found to have seized up in the past few weeks. We called in McNamara Pump and are currently awaiting a quote for replacing the 10 hp pump. Depend-ing on costs, we may decide to exchange pumps 1 and 2 in order to substitute a new, smaller pump for the north end of Heron Lake.

Remember: Please don't feed ducks

or other wildlife (including turtles & fish)!

LANDSCAPE COMMITTEE by Alix Szold

Our Landscape crew are all most happy

that we are moving into fall's cooler weather! This time of year means that grass, WEEDS, and all grow at a much slower rate, giving our crew time to "catch up" on maintenance. We have had a recent turnover with several new "mow crew" members who come on Thursdays and, finally, they are learning how we want our grass areas maintained and now all is going well. We are experimenting with our color corners a bit to attempt to find ways for them to survive and look healthy longer. A colorful vari-ety of mums are going to be planted within the next few days and the soil has been treated and irrigation added in hopes that we can maintain each color change longer. If the cor-ner of Lantana and Sumac fails again, we will change over to a colorful variety of more per-manent plantings. Our crew will be planting our back slopes of Lantana and Linden with more ground cover this coming month, both for ap-pearance and to help reduce weed growth. As always, maintaining adequate irrigation there is necessary and a constant struggle. We are in the process of replacing many aging irrigation valves that keep failing as well as changing our interior "pop-up" sprinkler heads from 4 to 6-inch ones. This will allow the interior grass to be more effectively wa-tered come next spring and summer, especially with warm weather. You will notice within the next few months that we may be adding more beach rock to corners or planter areas that continue to fail. These rocks are currently around our or-chid tree planters by the tennis courts and are most compatible with our Sea Cliff architecture. They provide a neater appearance compared to areas that fail to grow well. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any landscape concerns or problems. Alix Szold (760) 931-0128 or aszold@roadrunner.com .

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MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE

by Jim Lang

Here’s a summary of HOA areas that currently need maintenance and the status of actions for this month:

• Plans to improve lighting of the four ficus trees and the sign on the front gate island are in review. The Board will pick one to im-plement.

• The repair of several areas of coating on the north pool & spa deck was completed Oct 16 – 18.

• Bids to re-plaster the north spa are being pursued.

• Bids are sought to repair the bicycle rack near the pavilion.

Please call in common area mainte-nance problems to the Management Company or to me and we will follow-up. Also, continue to call in any HOA or SDG&E lights that are out. And join us at a committee meeting on the fourth Monday at 10am.

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POOLS & SPAS COMMITTEE

by Jim Lang Kaimana Coatings repaired small sec-

tions of the coating on our north pool & spa deck that had been installed in 2013. They first did a thorough and accurate inspection to find the twelve areas of delamination that needed removal, grinding, recoating and resealing. We were impressed with their expertise and rigor. We avoided a complete resealing or recoating of the 4,000 square-foot deck, which would have been very expensive, and the repairs will

add years of life. North pool swimmers who used the south pool during that three-day downtime experienced the five-degree cooler water temperatures, but now they’re back to the 84-degree temperature of the north pool.

Next on our to-do list is the re-plastering of our north spa. It was last done in 2010 and normally we expect a service life of five years, but by next January when the work is planned, it will have been eight years. We’re now in the process of seeking three bids for that work. During the 30-day “downtime” in January, the north spa devotees will have a chance to enjoy the soothing warm waters of the slightly larger south spa.

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SOUTHWEST CARLSBAD HOME-

OWNER ASSOCIATION COALITION (SWCHAC) MEETING

October 2, 2017 by Jim Coniglio

This October 2nd meeting of the

SWCHAC group heralded the end of an era - the retirement of Jim Colclaser - a long time principal producer of SWCHAC meetings.

It triggered me to look back through my errors, err, I mean, my eras. I’ve turned over a few myself! Coming first to mind was being walked to school by my Mom, me in tears, as she was telling me that I had to go to the 1st grade like it or not. Ahh, but I digress.

I believe the Jim Colclaser era initiated, maintained, and shared a different concept of learning about one’s community. Providing a meeting place that featured easy going discus-sions about current topics of interest by the people directly involved was key to its success.

It started well over 30 years ago when the presidents of three HOAs (Alta Mira I,II & III) started meeting occasionally at the Islands Restaurant (Palomar Airport Road and Paseo

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del Norte). It wasn’t too long before someone from the City of Carlsbad’s administration ex-pressed an interest, along with a growing num-ber of new housing and commercial develop-ers.

During those early years the group in-creased. They moved to the clubhouse at Alta Mira IV and, by using Jim’s guidance list of ten basic rules, local speakers came to appreciate the “no politics/no confrontations” style of infor-mational discourse. Jim, during most of this time, was a Farmers Insurance rep. and he stressed several points in the meetings: sixty minutes long - no more, no less; open to all - if you can’t behave, you can’t stay; and maintain a neutral position on all issues/topics.

As time progressed through to “modern days,” many hot topics were discussed: Costco/Price Club, Legoland, Open Space, Carlsbad Mayor’s State of the City Report, building height limits, beach development, highway development, expensive mall develop-ment, and no development. Quite an array.

Jim gave thanks to his supporters: his wife and daughter who have helped out as he pushes into his early 90s, to Mayor Matt Hall and his wife (who were present), to the small but dedicated core of attendees, and to GRG Management (a local HOA Management Com-pany) for suppling us all with coffee and pastry these past several years.

Then with a flourish, Jim handed over his gavel (rarely ever used) to one of our “newer members” - Bill Mitchell, an Alta Mira IV resident. You know, I don’t think he’s a day over 55!

Bill chatted with us for about ten minutes. Born in Oakland, California and with his dad in the military, he travelled regularly growing up. Following an engineering degree and interest in how things are built, soon led to a number of jobs with prime defense contrac-tors throughout the USA. Like many “modern guys” he raised a family, then started a new 2nd career teaching high school math and history. In the Hollywood area yet!

Did he teach famous people (by that I mean “actors”)? Why yes, he did. His favorites

were the Olsen Twins and yes, they were quite good students.

With just a few minutes left in the hour Mayor Matt Hall allowed a few “selfies” of Jim and himself taken for the historical record. He pledged to continue to support the SWCHAC meetings with an occasional update meeting on the City’s status!

The SWCHAC will continue to meet on the first Monday of every month for exactly one hour starting promptly at 8:00am. The location: the Alta Mira #4 HOA Clubhouse, 6750 Paseo Del Norte. The next meeting will be on Novem-ber 6, 2017.

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TENNIS COMMITTEE

by Tom Pappas Contact me if you have questions or

concerns. I am at (760) 715-9898.

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WELCOME COMMITTEE

by Fran Newman

No report this month.

CONTACTING NEW RESIDENTS The mission of the Welcome Committee

is to meet and greet our new residents and supply them with a packet of information about living at Sea Cliff and the Carlsbad area.

As a new resident, if you have not been contacted by a Welcome Committee member, please call Fran Newman, Welcome Commit-tee chairperson, at (760) 840-7900.

As a current resident, if you know of someone who recently moved in also, please contact Fran Newman with the information so they can be contacted.

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LUNCH BUNCH by Theresa Sweeney

We will not meet in November or De-cember due to the holidays, but our get togeth-ers will resume in January.

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PING PONG PLAYTIME Every Sunday

Weekend Wind Down for Non-Players Bring your own Refreshments

Pavilion 3:00 - 5:00 PM (Unless there is a Private Party)

News Flash

Sea Cliff Players Are Coming Out of Hiding! Lots of Laughing as Old Skills Surface

(paddles and balls are available)

Anyone interested in having a Tournament?

Questions? Call Linda, (760) 845-6819. I am available at other times to play or instruct

new players. I enjoy lighthearted and semi-seri-ous ping pong.

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REPORT IRRIGATION SYSTEM

PROBLEMS Please, call the management company at

(760) 436-1144 or Treebeard at (619) 697-8302 to report problems during business hours.

After business hours, call Treebeard at (619) 260-3763.

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ADDITIONS and CHANGES to the

RESIDENT DIRECTORY

The following additions and changes were recently made to update the

RESIDENT DIRECTORY, which has name, address and email sections posted on the

HOA Website:

As of 10/25/2017 since 9/25/2017:

• Change SPACIE email to aspacie@gmail.com

For changes prior to 9/25/2017, see the

website directories or previous editions of the Scene.

For additions, deletions or changes, contact Jim Lang at jdlang7409@gmail.com

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IF YOU NEED A PARKING PERMIT

PLEASE CONTACT:

• An HOA Board Member or

• Diana Gonzalez at 436-1144 Between 9 AM – 4 PM

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HIGHLIGHTS from the COUNTRY WESTERN NIGHT & CHILI COOKOFF

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More HIGHLIGHTS

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AUTUMN COLORS in Massachusetts

THE BACK PAGE

Sea Cliff Board of Directors Alan Newman President & Acting CFO 840-7800 alannewman225@yahoo.com Jim Sevier V.P. 448-5670 jrs.sevier@gmail.com Pete Tucker Secretary 619-517-3124 ptucker@san.rr.com Marilyn Stemen Director-at-Large 930-1244 mdstemen@sbcglobal.net

Committees

Architectural Ted Johnson margoted@roadrunner.com 707-6803 Jim Sevier Board Liaison

Enhancement Ann Hurd photosbyannh@gmail.com 579-3811 Patti Williams patricemichelle51@gmail.com (847) 927-1006 Jim Sevier Board Liaison

Finance Alan Newman (Acting) 840-7800 Alan Newman Board Liaison

Lakes Anne Spacie aspacie@gmail.com 918-9302 Marilyn Stemen Board Liaison Landscape Alix Szold aszold@roadrunner.com 931-0128 Alan Newman Board Liaison

Maintenance Stan Haynes T3Success@aol.com (619) 981-0515 Jim Lang jdlang7409@gmail.com 438-6680 Don Langston dlangston@sbcglobal.net 602-8269 Pete Tucker Board Liaison

Pools & Spas Ralph Berry ralph.berry@gmail.com 405-7711 Greg Thomsen thomsen99@yahoo.com 799-0614 Pete Tucker Board Liaison

Public Affairs Jim Coniglio jimc@dslextreme.com 931-0210 Alan Newman Board Liaison Tennis Tom Pappas thanaseprimos@aol.com 715-9898 TBD Board Liaison Welcome Fran Newman frannewman@ymail.com 840-7900 Marilyn Stemen Board Liaison

Lindsay Management Services 6126 Innovation Way Carlsbad, CA 92009 (760) 436-1144 Fax (760) 436-2566

Kathy Wright, Community Manager Kathy@LindsayMgt.com Diana Gonzalez, Admin Assistant Diana@LindsayMgt.com

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Sea Cliff Scene Publisher Sea Cliff Board of Directors Board Liaison Alan Newman Printer Lindsay Management Services Editor/ Design/Layout/Calendar Jim Lang (760) 438-6680 jdlang7409@gmail.com Proofreader Pat Leahy

Sea Cliff Web Site Web Master Rainier Apolonio (Site Update)

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Reservations for Private Use of the Clubhouse or Pavilion

All requests for use of either the Clubhouse or Pa-vilion for a private party must be made through Lindsay Management Company. Please complete and mail a Clubhouse and Pavilion Reservation Form to either Kathy or Diana 10 days in advance. Their phone numbers and e-mail addresses are on this page.

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Note that information provided herein is based on availa-ble information and believed to be correct; however, the Sea Cliff Homeowners Association is not responsible for its accuracy.

Sea Cliff November 2017

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Fri-day

Saturday

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Architectural: 10:30am Prayer Group: 10:30am (7121 Lantana)

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Welcome: 3pm Bunko: 7pm

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Private Party (Pavilion)

5 Turn clocks back to PST

Private Party (Pavilion)

6 SWCHAC: 8am (Alta Mira)

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Bridge Club: Noon

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Prayer Group: 10:30am (7121 Lantana)

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Enhancement: 10am

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Ping Pong: 3-5pm (Pavilion)

13 Landscape: 10am

14 Pools & Spas: 10am Bridge Club: Noon Finance: 3:30pm

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Prayer Group: 10:30am Board Exec. Session: 3 PM Regular Meet-ing: 4 PM

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18 Celebration of Life for Bob Coates (Pavilion)

Private Party (Clubhouse)

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Ping Pong: 3-5pm (Pavilion)

20 Lakes: 10am

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Bridge Club: Noon

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Prayer Group: 10:30am (7121 Lantana)

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Thanksgiving Day

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26 Ping Pong: 3-5pm (Pa-vilion)

27 Maintenance: 10am

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Bridge Club: Noon

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Prayer Group: 10:30am (7121 Lantana)

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Important Notice Regarding Your Yard Landscape Lateral Drain Lines

The lateral drain from each lot carries drainage from the rear yard of each unit and the nearby roof gutter downspouts to the outlet in the street gutter. Failure to properly maintain these drains could re-sult in the flooding of rear yards, possible flooding of your home, and damage to siding. Recent work on some of the drains indicates that many are filled with silt and debris. It is recommended that home-owners check the drains by running the garden hose into the inlets, (See Pictures), and have them flushed at least once every year. You may wish to have a plumber hydro flush and video inspect your drain to determine the condition of the drain. Maintenance and repair of these lateral drains is the re-sponsibility of the homeowners. Winter is coming! Check your yard drain soon!

Typical Landscape Yard Drain Inlet

Landscape Yard Drain with Garden Hose Inserted for Flushing